Ring of Fire
by WritingAmant
Summary: Rose and Jack try to maintain normal lives after the sinking of Titanic... raising the little girl from steerage, Cora, who lost her parents in the oceans depths that night. *Jack lives*


It wasn't long after the Carpathian had docked the realization hit Rose. Her hands clamped loosely over her mouth, she closed her eyes, and began to mourn the loss of everyone who froze in the oceans depths in the hours before. She'd received word that John Jacob Aster's body had not yet been found and his wife, Madalyn, was in a state of shock. That should be me. She thought quietly. But after Rose made her promise to Jack, a boat peered from out of nowhere. Only seven people were saved from the water, herself and Jack included. Seven. Out of fifteen hundred. She wiped her finger under her eyes and tried to compose herself, she tightened the blanket around her shoulders but still found herself trembling. Jack had met up with only a few survivors from third class and one of them was Cora. Rose watched Jack crouch down on his knees next to the little girl who'd just lost her parents and gaze into her eyes with such compassion, if the little girl wasn't a little girl, she would have been jealous. Cora didn't hesitate, she wrapped her fingers around Jack's neck and buried her head under his chin. Jack glanced at the other third class passengers before flitting over to Rose, a look of hopelessness steady across his features.

"We can't leave her." he said, his voice breaking, and sadness in his eyes.

"The other couple is too old to take care of her. And the younger one, has kids of her own, and if we don't take her, she'll go to a home somewhere and live in a prison for the rest of her young life. I won't... I can't have that for her." Jack kept his voice low, although Cora wasn't listening. Her low whimpers of fright and sadness were muffled into Jack's torn clothing. Rose didn't need convincing, she knew they had to take her. Her fingers reached out to the little girl in his arms and slowly stroked her back. "I know," she said. Within the weeks to follow, Jack found work in a lumber yard near the house they'd taken up residence in, with an older woman named Mrs. Bennett. Rose had decided she'd educate Cora here, with every valuable tool she had learned when she was a girl. She didn't want to tell Cora to sit up properly, straighten her shoulders, and fold the napkin across her lap. Instead, she wanted to teach her how to be a lady. Rose would sit at the table with Cora and go over these lessons every day after she taught her studies. Sometimes Jack would participate as an example when Rose needed him.

"Cora," Rose said, placing the salad fork in order with the dinner fork next to the plate. "Why don't you show Jack what you learned today?" Cora looked back at Jack who was resting his eyes on his chair in the corner of the room, a newspaper placed on top of his chest. She giggled and flitted across the room, climbing into his lap. He grunted at the sudden impact and looked down. "C'mon, Uncle Jack!" she said, tugging at his arm. "Aunt Rose taught me more lessons on how to be a lady today." Jack shifted to his feet and stumbled over to the table, aware of the routine by now. "How many times do I have to tell you, you're too young to be a lady." he grinned. Rose laughed, helping Mrs. Bennett with the food on the stove. "A girl is never too young to learn how to become a proper_ young_ lady." Rose interjected. Jack mocked a scoff and Cora took off his hat, throwing it across the room. "It's impolite to wear hats at the table," she scolded. Jack tried to keep a straight face. "Well, my apologies, ma'am." Cora sat across from him and straightened her posture, nudging Jack to do the same. He chuckled and tilted his chin up, folding his hands together on the table. "Tis it good?" he faked a proper accent and Cora giggled, Rose stirred a pot and laughed quietly. "Very well." Cora said, mimicking the accent Jack had done.

"That's enough for today." Rose announced, smoothing her hands over her apron on her lower abdomen. She did that a lot, and Jack had grown fond of the feminine habit. "Go clean up. Dinner will be ready soon." Cora climbed out of the chair and bounced on to the floor, running into the hallway. "Walk, don't run." Rose corrected. Cora's movements slowed, but she continued to hurry into the powder room. Mrs. Bennett had made a rule that Jack and Rose could not sleep in the same bedroom if they were not man and wife. Why, the idea was horrid. Jack had all intention of marrying Rose, but he wanted to raise enough money to give her something, anything, to slip on her finger when he properly proposed. At night, he snuck into her bedroom, regardless of what Mrs. Bennett's thoughts were, and Rose would try to shoo him away, saying he wasn't suppose to be back there and Mrs. Bennett would surely fuss if she found them together. However, it wasn't long before Rose was giving into him, and his long arms that wrapped around her small frame, every part of their body seeming to fit together as though they were made to each other. And they were. "I can't help but think about my mother." Rose would confess, when the silence seemed to always mean they were thinking about what happened just a few days before. "I know she survived. But where is she? Does she mourn my loss at all?" Jack's hand ran through Rose's tangled red locks and sighed, speaking softly. "Anyone who wouldn't mourn your loss would have to be crazy." he whispered, a light chuckle to follow. She turned in his arms to face him, running her hand down his cheek. "I don't know what I would have done," she whispered back. Jack raised his eyebrows. "If what?" Rose gazed into his eyes lovingly, running her finger over the dark circles under his blue eyes. "If I had lost you." Jack swallowed, remaining silent for a long moment before dropping his lips to her forehead. He slipped out of her bed once she'd fallen into a deep slumber and closed the door gently behind him glancing around for Mrs. Bennett. He was a little more afraid of what she would do if she found out than he let on. Although he would have given anything to stay nestled next to her until day break, he knew he couldn't now. Not yet. The events of Titanic had scarred not only Rose, but Jack as well. He lays awake at night, staring at the ceiling, trying not to imagine the images he can't seem to erase from his memory. It had only been a few weeks without Fabritzio by his side and yet he couldn't shake the thought of him, Tommy, or even his roommates in third class.

"Look! I see the Statue of Liberty. Very small of course." Fabritzio grinned with pride, cupping the statue in his hands and squinting one eye. Jack hopped up on to the railing and tilted his head to get a better look before celebrating his great fortune.

"I'm the king of the world! Woo hoo, woooooo!" he howled, spreading his arms out and tilting his head back to bask in the glory.

Once he'd finally gotten his thoughts to rest, he began to hear a soft cry that he ignored for a few moments, thinking it was only his thoughts getting the best of him. But when it continued, he rose from his spot on the cot and pulled his pants over his hips to cover himself. He stumbled a few steps in the dark, then stepped out into the hall, listening carefully again.

Jack very slowly peered into Rose's room, finding her curled in the ball he'd left her in when he exited the room in the earlier hours. The soft whimpering continued somewhere else in the cottage and Jack realized quickly if it wasn't Rose, then who else would it be? Without thinking twice, he darted into Cora's small bedroom at the end of the hall to find her huddled in the corner on the floor. "Cora," Jack spoke softly. He walked slower now, afraid he would startled her. She turned around when she heard his voice, tears stung in her baby brown eyes. His heart ached. This wasn't the first time she'd been crying late at night. Jack figured it was normal in result of the traumatic experience she had with losing both of her parents tragically at the same time, and witnessing things no pair of innocent eyes should see. Before he could say anything else, Cora welcomed herself into his arms again. He lifted her from the ground and placed her on the bed, lying her on her back next to him, and wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Shhh. I know." he said, tenderly. "It'll all be alright. Your mom and dad are in a better, happier, place. Their souls have already shot to heaven." Cora sniffled in response. Jack tucked a few lose ends of hair from Cora's face and began to hum a familiar melody.

"_Come Josephine in my flying machine_

_Going up she goes! Up she goes!_

_Balance yourself like a bird on a beam_

_In the air she goes! There she goes!_

_Up, up, a little bit higher_

_Oh! My! The moon is on fire_

_Come Josephine in my flying machine. . . "_

When he looked down at Cora again, he saw her sleeping soundly on his chest. He was afraid to move, not wanting to wake her, so he stared at the ceiling again and although it was nearly impossible, he tried to think of anything except for _Titanic. _


End file.
